"Round 7" - Reinier de Ridder posts sparring clip vs. Aung La N Sang

Reinier de Ridder and Aung La N Sang have battled twice in the circle. Surprisingly, they recently found a way to meet for the third time at Sanford MMA.

In his Instagram stories, De Ridder revealed that he and N Sang had a chance to spar together. In the caption, he said:

“Round 7 @henrihooft @onechampionship”

Check out the screenshot below:

Screen capture from Reinier de Ridder's Instagram stories

De Ridder took the ONE middleweight world title from N Sang in the first round of their October 2020 encounter. In April 2021, they faced each other in an epic five-round battle where De Ridder took home a unanimous decision victory and the ONE light heavyweight world title.

N Sang has since bounced back from the loss with a first-round knockout of Leandro Ataides. However, a loss to Vitaly Bigdash in February 2022’s ONE: Full Circle meant a step away from a trilogy fight with De Ridder.

A third encounter between the two world champions may not be on the cards any time soon. Nevertheless, at least "Round 7" allowed them to trade shots once again.

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What’s next for Reinier de Ridder?

Reinier de Ridder has said that he’s looking to be more active this year. He’s been true to his words so far, having competed twice already within the first quarter of 2022.

In February, he executed his game plan to perfection against Kiamrian Abbasov for his first world title defense. He immediately called out Andre Galvao for a submission grappling bout at ONE X, the promotion’s 10-year anniversary showcase, which was a month away. De Ridder battled the grappling legend to a draw.

After their match, ‘The Dutch Knight’ called out ONE heavyweight world champion Arjan Bhullar. De Ridder intends to chase a historic world title in a third division. However, he isn't hesitant to put his ONE light heavyweight world title on the line in case that would be more appealing for Bhullar.

Even if Bhullar doesn’t take his challenge, De Ridder has other options to consider when he makes his return to the circle.

The 31-year-old expressed interest in a hybrid rules matchup, and previously singled out four-time kickboxing and Muay Thai world champion Alain Ngalani as a possible opponent.

Meanwhile, Vitaly Bigdash is also waiting for his opportunity to challenge for De Ridder’s ONE middleweight world title.